Everywhen, Everywhere
by Kamiyashi
Summary: Endless Loop 01. On the eve of the Battle City finals, Yami reflects on his past and what repercussions it will have on his present. When Kaiba and Yami experience a vision of their ancient Egyptian counterparts, what will it mean for their future? YYxK
1. Part I: Remembering to Forget

**Title: **_Everywhen, Everywhere_

**Series:** Part I of _Endless Loop_.

**Summary: **On the eve of the Battle City finals, Yami reflects on his newly rediscovered past and what repercussions it will have on his present. When Kaiba and Yami experience a vision of their ancient Egyptian counterparts, what will it mean for their future?

**Pairings:** Yami x Kaiba, Priest Seto x Pharaoh Atem

**Rating**: T for language and implied sexual situations between male lovers. No limes or lemons in this one.

**Disclaimer:** _Yu-Gi-Oh!_ does not and never has belonged to me.

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**A/N:** Takes place around episode 97 in season two. Anzu wakes up and discovers that Bakura is missing, so she goes to find Yuugi to help look for him. In the meantime, Bakura and Marik are dueling on the top deck and Kaiba is researching the One Turn Kill ability of Ra. This story starts sometime after the battle between Bakura and Marik is over and everyone but Yami has left the top deck.

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**Part I: Remembering to Forget**

Yami knew that he should go back downstairs to their room and allow his aibou's body to rest before the finals tomorrow, but he still remained alone on the Battle Ship dueling platform. Bakura had vanished into the darkness, Marik had wandered off, and Anzu presumably had finally gone back to bed, but Yami couldn't bring himself to move. It was a rare moment of selfishness, but he didn't want to return to his confines just yet and be trapped inside of his soul room when he had so much weighing on his mind.

True, the same dilemmas plagued him while he was in control of his aibou's body, but at least there was a small illusion of freedom, fleeting as it may have been. Even if it was just for this moment, he could pretend that he was alive…but then again, he had never been very good at lying to himself. His hand clenched tightly around the cold metal chain hanging around his neck, the deadweight that reminded him of his place. Yami allowed himself to feel the frustration over his own situation only because his aibou was in a deep enough sleep to be deaf to such traitorous emotions.

Yami couldn't help but feel disappointed in himself, disappointed that he was allowing his emotions to get beyond his control. Never before had he had any doubts about where he stood, about who he was—he was the embodiment of the Millennium Puzzle, Yuugi's darkness and protector. He had needed nothing else, had not even thought to question it or how he came to be. All that had mattered was his aibou's happiness and safety, which was exactly as it should have been. But it had all changed and now he wasn't so sure about things, something that he didn't like at all.

Relinquishing his grip on the chain as he walked over to the edge of the platform, Yami leaned against the railing and shivered as the cold metal permeated his warmth through his thin jacket. Looking over the edge, all he could see were dark clouds as they passed over them, the faint light of the stars from above shining weakly. He didn't have a watch with him, but judging from the hint of grey on the edge of the horizon, daybreak couldn't be but a few hours away now. Even knowing that, he remained where he stood, resting one foot on the lower rail as he continued staring blankly ahead, absorbed in his thoughts.

Everything had changed that day at the museum, that very instant when he first laid eyes on the tablet that had redefined his entire existence in a single moment. He suddenly became aware that he used to be a person with a history, a man who had ruled as a pharaoh and sacrificed himself for the greater good of his people. In that moment he had been granted a shadow of an identity, had been given something that was both a blessing and a curse. He was a pharaoh with no name, a man with a past that couldn't be recalled, a man who had not stood alone. And he had been troubled ever since, although he did his best to hide it from his aibou.

It's why Yami had been so disturbed by the conversation he and his aibou had earlier when Yuugi couldn't sleep. He was deeply touched that Yuugi wanted to help recover all seven of the Millennium Items in order for Yami to regain what he had lost, but it was still painful for Yami to hear, even more than hearing his aibou trying to stifle his tears afterwards. He understood now that he had sacrificed his life for a purpose and he couldn't ask his aibou to do the same. Even though it was a difference circumstance, a different kind of sacrifice, he wasn't comfortable with it and couldn't accept it. No matter what, it was still his duty to protect Yuugi and he couldn't allow his aibou to stop living his life in order to help Yami learn more about his old one. But despite his noble sentiments, some small part of Yami still wanted to know, no matter what the cost. Wasn't that the real reason that he was participating in the Battle City tournament?

Closing his eyes, Yami sighed heavily. He had been fine without his memories so far, so why did it matter now? Why couldn't it have been enough just the way it was? Why did everything have to change with the limited knowledge he had gained? What difference did it make that he had been an ancient king, that he had willingly sealed himself into the Millennium Puzzle? How did it change the person that he was now? _In every way,_ he thought bitterly, resenting himself for not being able to smother his desire to discover the truth.

Because now he knew why his room was a labyrinth, knew why there were an infinite amount of doors that led to nowhere inside of the place he had created. It was an empty palace that was a mockery of logic and himself and he had grown to loathe it recently. Before it had simply been the place that he had resided, but ever since he had started to remember, it had become the worst kind of prison—the kind that tempted one with promises only to shatter them when you decided to believe. The doors had always led to more doors, but now there were memories behind them sometimes, little moments that he could witness that told him next to nothing, but still revealed just enough to pain him. They were almost always scenes without consequence—an image of himself by the riverbanks of the Nile, another of him sitting amongst a stack of scrolls working silently—but it made him want to know more. But all he would find were more empty rooms, always bringing him to the brink of giving up, only to reveal another unimportant memory. And yet, they were precious things that he guarded closely, so closely that he didn't even let his aibou know. He had to protect Yuugi from such things; he was the mou hitori no boku and he couldn't let that change for his aibou. As much as he wanted to learn about his old identity, he still treasured his current one.

He hated feeling this way, hated the conflict it brought up in him. Almost everything had become dissatisfying because he suddenly had something to measure it against, something to compare it with now, flimsy as it was. Anzu, Honda, and Jounouchi were his friends, but they were his aibou's friends, first and foremost. They were the important friends that Yuugi had wished for on the strength of the Millennium Puzzle and he had been granted his deepest desire as a reward. Yes, they were also friends with Yami, but it was different. Even if Yami couldn't remember, he was confident that he once had friends to call his own, once had things that he wanted to share with them, to experience with them. Now he just wanted to protect this group for his aibou's continued happiness, to continue carrying out Yuugi's original wish.

Yami had always been proud to share their name, but now he couldn't stop the slight twinge of some unknown feeling deep inside of him when they called him Yuugi. Somehow it was always made worse when they called him mou hitori no Yuugi; it was almost like an even more drastic distance was created by the term. All it did was remind him that he had once been addressed by another name, a name that had been given to him by parents he could no longer remember.

He longed to know his real name, yearned to hear it on the lips of another in this modern time, but that would mean truly becoming something other than mou hitori no boku. It would be a hurtful separation and even knowing that, he could feel the pain in not knowing such a small detail. How had he forgotten something as important as his name? Forgotten all of his memories that must have been important to him once? And yet without someone to call out to him, without a reason to recall what had once been, was it any wonder that they disappeared because of neglect?

Perhaps it was for the best in some ways, though. Forgetting allowed him to live in limbo for centuries without ever realizing that anything was unusual about his existence. How else could anyone be expected to survive if they could remember everything? That itself would have perhaps been a greater curse. After all, he hadn't known what alone was until he had met his aibou and been surrounded by the warmth of their friendship. But it was only once he gained the knowledge of his previous life that he came to understand what loneliness was. It was not something that the ties of his modern friendships could help him escape, even though he could clearly remember various events to help him pass the time in his soul room when his aibou was moving through his real life.

In the centuries before meeting Yuugi, Yami could never be sure quite how much time passed since there were no indicators inside of his walls, no sun to show the passing of the days, no seasons to show the passing of the months, no aging process to reveal the passing of the years. But now Yami knew what hours felt like, what it felt like when they flew by, when they dragged on in silence; he now knew what he was missing as he remained in his enclosed solitary world.

Worse still was the recently uncovered emptiness inside of him that he still didn't understand. At first it had been an ache for something that he couldn't identify, an almost painful longing for something just beyond his reach, a desire for something that he could almost remember. More than any other memory, he had wanted to see the one that would help him understand the hollowness that was begging to be filled. A flash of blue, a flutter of white, and a golden expanse were the only clues he had to go with the whisper of a name he couldn't remember. Few things hurt as much as the realization that something so important had been lost to him and any time he tried to find out more, all he heard were the echoing footsteps of someone walking away. The only thing that had hurt more was when he had found the answer, simply because it was the only person he could never have.

Now that he had things to think about, it allowed him too much time to do so. Yami was becoming almost masochistic in his desires to remember and to forget. He had to know, needed to know, and yet he didn't want to, but that still couldn't suppress his desire. His sole comfort was the fact that during those times, his aibou was unable to listen in to his most private thoughts. He hated cutting his aibou off from that part of his heart, but he knew it was necessary, knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was critical to maintain a chance at things remaining the way that they were currently. Because it wasn't so much the feelings of loneliness that affected him, so much as it was the source of it and he knew that his aibou could never know, would never understand.

Just as he had withheld the knowledge from his aibou about his first visit to the museum with Anzu, he also hid the second one as well. He had wanted to see the tablet again and try to see what else he could learn from it, especially since his mind had been unable to stop trying to figure out if the other figure on the carving was somehow related to Kaiba. Isis had said that he need to discover the true meaning on his own time and so he had waited until he was confident that his aibou was in a deep enough sleep before acting on his whim. Sneaking out after Jii-chan had gone to sleep, Yami made his way to the museum, fully intending to use the powers granted to him from the Millennium Puzzle to obtain what he wanted, but found it to be unnecessary since Isis was waiting for him at the top of the stairs.

Without exchanging a word, she beckoned for him to follow and allowed him entrance into the museum, escorting him to the room that held the artifacts and left him there in silence. Hesitantly approaching the glass, Yami had looked up at it in amazement, taking his time as he read the words on it, relishing the fact that he could comprehend what was written, even if he didn't fully understand the meaning. But as much as he had wanted to learn about himself, his eyes kept straying to the figure with the Blue Eyes White Dragon flying above him. Something deep inside of him told him that the person somehow had a connection to the modern day Kaiba, but it wasn't enough to go on instinct alone.

The longer Yami studied the monument, he became increasingly aware of a faint but discernable emotion that was resonating from the stone. Without understanding why, Yami began to feel an overwhelming sense of loss and he gingerly raised his hand to touch the glass. To his surprise, his hand passed through it and came into contact with the stele itself, but he didn't have much time to process it since it felt as if his soul was being forcibly removed from his body as a result.

He found that instead of being in the museum, he was floating above a scene taking place in ancient Egypt; to his surprise, it wasn't the battle itself he was witnessing, but a quieter moment in what appeared to be a bedroom. Looking around, Yami's eyes went wide at the sight of a tan Kaiba in Egyptian clothing sitting at a desk and working diligently on something. Approaching with caution since he was fearful that he might be seen, Yami looked over and was startled by the fact that he was seeing the design for the tablet being drawn by the priest who so resembled Kaiba.

The sound of a small sigh made Yami return his attention to the face of the other and he instantly felt a deep and resonating sadness at the look in those blue eyes, confusing him. Yami watched as the priest set his brush down and gently traced the outline of the illustrated pharaoh's face with trembling fingers, the open expression of despair overwhelming. He longed to do something, but Yami found himself unable to move, unable to do anything but watch. The priest started to say something only to stop, his fingers still lingering on the parchment.

If he hadn't known better, Yami would have thought the priest about to cry, but he suddenly froze, poised for an attack that never came as the mask of arrogant indifference that Yami was so familiar with replaced the former vulnerability. Relaxing his stance but maintaining the icy look, the priest wandered away from his desk and went to his balcony, looking out over the palace grounds blankly. Yami had followed in order to continue his observations and he was standing next to the priest, studying the differences between this person and the counterpart he was familiar with, surprised by how similar the two seemed. There was no doubt in his mind that there was a connection, but the question was how? The priest had been holding the Millennium Rod in the engraving, but so far Yami had seen no evidence of it being present. In Yami's mind there were only two options: either the person he was seeing eventually became sealed in the Millennium Rod and had yet to be awakened in their modern time or else Kaiba was the reincarnation of this man's soul. Either way, he wanted to know more.

Suddenly, a loud voice exclaimed, "Pharaoh," and Yami started to glance in that direction, but was stopped by the look on the other's face. For a singular moment, the removed expression took on a hopeful look only to be replaced by a cynical smirk that Yami was all too familiar with; it pained Yami for unknown reasons. Faintly he heard a thought pass through the priest's mind, _What were you expecting? To turn around and see him? Ridiculous sentimentalism, Seto_.

Yami was more surprised by the thought and sense of disappointment he could feel lingering within the priest who had addressed himself as Seto than he was by his response of, "You dare to disturb me?" Only after he had composed his expression did Seto finally turn around to focus his hard gaze on the one who had entered his chambers.

The man began to stutter, not daring to look up from his place on the floor where he knelt, "I-I apologize for my—for my abrupt intrusion, b-but my Pharaoh, it is an urgent and—"

"Leave," Seto commanded with a dismissive wave, heading back over to his worktable.

"But, my Pharaoh—!"

After having received countless glares from Kaiba, Yami had grown somewhat accustomed to the fierceness, but never before had he seen anything so close to a vicious and murderous expression that promised violence in Kaiba. Even though he was an unseen entity, Yami found himself wanting to move away from such a terrifying look, and yet he found himself drawn to it at the same time. Was it overcompensation for his momentary lapse in strength earlier? Seto's voice was terse as he threatened, "You will not live to regret making me repeat myself."

Visibly flinching and swallowing hard, the man on the floor was clearly cowering in fear, but he made no move to rise from his position. "By your gracious and forgiving good will—" the man started and Seto began seething.

The idea of Kaiba being gracious and forgiving caused Yami to snort out loud and he instantly regretted it as soon as he saw Seto tense up and narrow his eyes. Feeling safe once he realized Kaiba wasn't looking in his direction, he winced as Seto roared, "Get out," to the man on the floor, the sound of it echoing off of the cavernous walls of the room.

"It's about the Millennium Pyramid, my Pharaoh!" the man blurted out, not daring to look up at his enraged ruler.

Yami was shocked by those words and apparently Seto was as well, but it was quickly hidden behind his normal mask. "What?" Seto asked in a dangerously low tone, not believing what he had just heard.

The man raised himself slightly, but still did not dare to look in the pharaoh's direction. Instead, he called out loudly, "Priest Aziz," and the sound of hurried footsteps could be heard approaching, belonging to a young man in priest robes who was carrying a small object wrapped in linen. Entering with a low bow, he approached Seto reverently as the man on the floor began explaining in rushed words, "Some thieves were caught trying to raid the previous pharaoh's tomb and—"

"They did _what_?" Seto demanded in barely controlled rage, his hand clenching tightly into a fist.

Aziz carefully set the object on the desk in front of Seto and finished with a simple, "Everything was recovered and all present were captured. Their sentencing is set for tomorrow."

Seto nodded and said nothing, never taking his eyes off of the linen wrapped item, an unreadable expression on his face. "Leave me," Seto said quietly, to which both men bowed low and obeyed without another word.

Yami watched as Seto remained unmoving, his eyes unfocused on the object that had been placed before him. Reaching out to pull it closer, the instant his fingers came into contact with the fabric, Seto's grip tightened almost possessively on it as he once again took a seat at his desk. As Seto began to unwrap it, Yami edged closer to watch, shocked when he saw a small gold box that had the other narrowing his eyes. "They will pay with their lives in this life and the next for this humiliation," Seto swore as he carefully removed the lid.

Inside were the unassembled pieces of the Millennium Puzzle and Yami watched in fascination as Seto began removing them piece by piece and gently laying them on the small linen sheet in neat little rows. Yami realized that Seto was counting them to make sure that none had gone missing and he was strangely touched and comforted by the gesture and yet he still felt the emotions from before returning as he watched Seto stare at them with a helpless expression of frustration. Picking up the center piece and tracing the edges with his thumb, Seto softly said, "If I can't find an answer, I'll just have to create one," but there was still a determination there, one that Yami was used to seeing in Kaiba. He remained like that, unmoving except for gently rotating the single piece between his fingers before finally vowing, "By the gods, I'll find a way to bring you back," running his thumb lightly over the eye, tracing the pattern.

The action unexpectedly activated the completed Millennium Puzzle Yami was wearing and he could already feel the eye appearing on his forehead as the pyramid began to glow in response. Seto slowly turned to face Yami, an astonished look on his face as he stared at the specter that caused his eyes to go wide. Rising in order to approach, Seto never took his eyes off of Yami, refusing to let go of the piece that he believed made the vision possible. "Pharaoh?" Seto questioned, looking at him with such an emotional expression that Yami found himself at a loss.

Unsure of the ramifications of speaking, he merely nodded, realizing that he could feel the other's emotional state even more strongly now that there was a connection through the Millennium Item. There was a general sense of relief, a heightened sense of frustration, overwhelming confusion, slight shame, and an almost painful desire, although Yami didn't understand for what. He could only watch as Seto continued to move closer, each step increasing the turmoil inside of him, even as his expression remained composed.

"You were unharmed, then?"

Nodding once again, Yami could clearly see Seto struggling with his hesitancy to trust what he was seeing completely.

"Pharaoh, I…" Seto started, but trailed off, his eyes searching Yami's uncertainly.

When Seto reached out to him, Yami expected the fingers to pass through him, but was stunned by the warmth of the other's hand on his cheek. In that touch he could hear the echo of memories faintly stirring within him, could catch glimpses of nights spent together, of their hidden history that he was so desperate to reclaim, that the other was desperately trying to hold on to. Hesitantly placing his hand over Seto's, Yami leaned into the caress, feeling whispered stories in those fingertips, fragments of lost thoughts in that palm.

Not content with just that, Seto pulled Yami closer to him into a tight embrace, almost as if he were afraid to let go for fear of Yami disappearing again. He could feel Seto trembling slightly and he instinctually found himself wrapping his arms around the other, earning him another heartbeat of knowledge, finding that this was familiar to him somehow. Unbidden, his voice softly betrayed his silence as he called out, "Seto," the other tensing up under his touch.

Yami was overcome by a rush of complicated feelings coming from the other, any sense of restraint or any lingering doubts completely gone as it spurred Seto into action. Yami felt those long fingers entangling in his hair, felt that intense gaze like never before as Seto leaned forward and gently captured his lips, escalating it into a heated kiss that was unlike anything Yami had ever experienced. But at the same time, it was reviving all sorts of memories that were trying to compete with the current moment and Yami felt himself quickly getting lost in it all. As he felt Seto's fingers running under his shirt and up along his spine, he moaned the other's name again, his instincts beginning to take over as his hands began to explore places that felt both new and so well known all at the same time.

"Pharaoh," Seto whispered in Yami's ear, sending a shiver through him as those fingers continued to ghost along his skin.

"Say my name, Seto," Yami pleaded, but he was instantly aware of a disconnect beginning to happen the instant those words were spoken.

Seto held onto him tightly, kissing him desperately until Yami lost his substantial form completely. Caressing the air as he traced the outline of Yami's face, Seto looked at him sadly but with a fierce determination that sent a thrill through him as the other promised, "I'll find you."

"I know," Yami replied, although he couldn't be sure if his words had reached the other or not.

"Wait for me," was the last thing he heard Seto say before Yami found himself back in the museum, his hand on the proper side of the glass, still lingering over the carved body of the ancient priest.

Struggling with the images and memories that he had gained, Yami had slid to his knees as he whispered, "For how long?" There was no doubt in his mind as to the validity of what he had seen, but it didn't make them any easier to accept.

Instead of lingering, Yami simply picked himself up off of the floor and left the room, never seeing Isis on his way out of the museum. Returning home, he had changed and made sure that there was no way his aibou would have known that he had gone out and retreated to the sanctuary of his soul room.

Except it was no longer a sanctuary after that night. Because left alone, he suddenly had time to deal with everything that had just happened. He had finally found his answer to what the ache inside of him was, but he was still left without any way to ease it. If anything, it was made even worse by the knowledge, by the fragmented memories he had inherited—memories of things he would have been better off not knowing since instead of explaining things as he had hoped, they only confused him further. It was positively torturous and it didn't help any that his mind kept trying to substitute Kaiba because of the inordinate amount of time the two had been spending together lately, either.

That in and of itself struck Yami as strange. Kaiba had willingly sought him out during the Battle City preliminaries and then followed him—even going so far as to help him—and Yami hadn't known what to make of that. Yami had fixated on Jounouchi just to distract himself from the emotions that he felt at being so close to the other for so long. It wasn't right to look at Kaiba through the memories of Seto, but Yami found it hard to stop himself from wanting more. He had even tried discussing it with Kaiba by revealing the truth about his connection with the Millennium Puzzle, but it had been met with shock that quickly turned into a skeptical derision that had pained him. Despite that, Yami was careful to maintain the same unaffected appearance as always.

Finally opening his eyes, he stared into the dark night with another sigh, hating that he was hesitating to return to the puzzle for such foolish reasons. Everything was just such a mess right now and Yami felt torn about everything. Why couldn't he just ignore that selfish part that wanted to know more, ignore the pointless desire to discover the truth? When would it stop being worth it? Mai, Bakura, and Rashid had all come into harm as a result of their battles and Yami wondered how many more would fall. Yami would never forgive himself if something happened to Jounouchi, but as much as he wanted to trust that everything would be okay, some part of him feared that the worst was yet to come.

Reaching into his pocket and pulling out the Millennium Tauk, Yami watched as it still managed to glint in the little light available to it. Isis had said it no longer worked because of her defeat by Kaiba, but Yami couldn't help but wish that it still had some of its original power remaining. He wasn't so bold as to want to see into the future in order to secure his own fate, but having the reassurance of knowing that his friends would come out unharmed was tempting. Lightly running his thumb over the eye, he couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed when it failed to activate, though. Still, he kept it in his hands and absentmindedly traced the familiar design as he waited for the sun to rise.

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**A/N:** Thanks for reading the first quarter of my one shot in four parts! XD

While my last story was a comedy that tended to veer into psychological realms, this one is largely focused on the darker side of the characters. I don't think it crosses over into angst by any measure, even if those boys certainly can be that from time to time. This piece will be heavy on the thoughts and reflections, but I hope that everyone can find something worthwhile within it.

I decided to experiment with a slightly different style of writing with this piece. I wanted to try and capture the fluidity of stream of conscious thought, but temper it with a structured form that would give it balance. So if you found something confusing, let me know so that I can either answer your question, or go back and try to make things a little clearer. I know that jumping from the present to extended memories can sometimes be a little rough…

For those of you who have followed me here from **Catnip Dream**, I just thought I'd let you know that the sequel is already in the process of being written and I will be posting it after I complete this story. Hopefully this can tide you over in the interim, ne?

**Part II: For Now**

_When Kaiba goes to confront Yami on the top deck, he wasn't quite expecting _that_ to happen…_

The second part will go up next Sunday once I get off of work, so please look forward to it! Thank you for taking the time to read this and please feel free to leave a review and let me know what you thought of this.


	2. Part II: For Now

**Part II: For Now**

Mokuba swayed a little on his feet, exhausted by such a busy and exciting day of duels. The little sleep he had managed to get while his older brother had worked just hadn't been enough and he found himself wanting more as he stood by Kaiba's side in the control room. He began to wonder if it really was possible to fall asleep standing up, but he wasn't sure that he really wanted to give it a try. Mokuba was just getting ready to decide to find another chair and resume sleeping when his brother made a startled noise. "Nii-sama?" he questioned, focusing his blurry eyes on his brother's form.

"Everything's fine, Mokuba. Why don't you go ahead up to your room?" Kaiba suggested reassuringly, hoping that his brother would be tired enough to obey without too much of a protest. Kaiba continued staring intently at a panel that was showing someone on the top deck and he had an idea of who it might be, even if he didn't know why that person would be up there at this time of night. He wanted to go investigate, but he knew that would be impossible with his younger brother at his side.

"Not until Nii-sama promises to come, too," Mokuba said with a yawn, sounding like his age for once.

"I'll be up shortly," Kaiba said, "but I just want to check on something first."

Yawning again, but edging closer to the door, Mokuba knew that he was far too tired to try and win an argument against his brother right now. "G'night," he slurred, stumbling his way out of the room and heading in the direction of the suite he was sharing with his older brother.

When Kaiba heard the door closed, he once again focused on the display, calling up the statistics on top deck activity during the past few hours that he had been busy with his research on Ra's special ability. There had been four people on deck at one point, but there had only been a single person remaining for the last two hours. With his brother taken care of, Kaiba decided to make his way up to the top deck in order to get some answers.

Quickly walking over to the elevator, he took it up to the floor before the deck; he wanted the element of surprise on his side and the dinging of the elevator bell and the sound of the doors opening would ruin that. Deciding to use the stairs for the last flight, Kaiba opened the metal exit door as silently as he could, shutting it quietly behind him with a click that was inaudible over the sound of rushing wind. Heading to the right, the figure in question quickly came into view and his suspicions were confirmed as he saw the distinctive silhouette of Yami against the railing.

Smirking in triumph, he approached as slowly as he could to accommodate for the wind causing his coat to flap noisily. When he came close enough, he could see that Yami was holding something in his hand as he stared off into the distance, but Kaiba couldn't quite make out what it was. Abruptly speaking, Kaiba demanded, "What are you doing out here?"

Instead of startling or showing any signs of surprise, Yami merely asked in a conversational tone, "Is it a problem?" Inside, however, Yami was struggling to quickly close off his emotions; he had barely finished thinking about the other Seto when the one he wanted to see the least appeared.

Frowning, Kaiba found himself disappointed with the response, although he didn't bother to question why that was. Instead of answering, Kaiba asked, "Who were the other three?"

"Other three?" Yami repeated, momentarily confused. "Bakura and Marik were dueling earlier when Anzu and I arrived, if that's what you meant."

"Anzu?" Kaiba questioned in distaste, an eyebrow arching at that piece of information. He had been expecting it to be that third-rate amateur excuse for a duelist Jounouchi or even that troublesome Isis woman, but he never would have expected the fourth party to be the useless cheerleader.

Shrugging, Yami explained, "She was concerned about Bakura disappearing and she went to aibou for help. I discovered that a Dark Game was occurring and took over to handle it," not caring if Kaiba accepted the answer or not.

Even when the occult woman wasn't involved, it somehow managed to work its way into a situation, Kaiba realized in disgust. "What ridiculous bullshit," Kaiba scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest as he continued to stare at the back of the smaller man in front of him. Without knowing why, Kaiba was becoming increasingly frustrated by the fact his rival was refusing to look at him. When Yami failed to say anything further, Kaiba found himself continuing, "It doesn't explain why you're still here, though."

Returning the Millennium Tauk to his pocket, but not before Kaiba caught sight of it, Yami asked with a sigh, "Do you mean why am I still out here or why am I not Yuugi?"

"What sort of question is that?" Kaiba commented with a derisive laugh, wondering why Yuugi had come into possession of that annoying woman's necklace.

"A valid one," he said simply, finally turning and facing Kaiba.

Confronted with Yami's emotionless eyes, Kaiba was caught somewhat off-guard. "Nonsense," Kaiba told him, unaccustomed to such an expression on his rival's face. There was just something troubling to him about that normally fiercely expressive gaze being so blank and he didn't understand why it mattered. He wouldn't allow himself to waste his time with such things; it wasn't like he cared or anything.

"Is it?"

"What?"

Leaving the railing and walking closer to Kaiba, Yami repeated, "Is it nonsense?"

"Of course it's nonsense," Kaiba replied hurriedly, finding himself increasingly confused by the other's behavior. There was something different about this Yuugi tonight and Kaiba wasn't sure what it was, but he was curious despite himself.

"Then why did you come out here?"

Giving him a disapproving look, Kaiba answered, "I wanted to confirm that there were no problems out here."

"You could have sent Isono," Yami pointed out, referring to the officiator of the Battle Ship semi-finals.

"He was asleep," Kaiba replied, annoyed at himself for being baited so easily. He didn't owe the other any explanations, after all.

"Why aren't you?"

Scowling, Kaiba became defensive as the questioning started going in a direction that he hadn't accounted for in his prior planning. "What difference does that make to you?"

Countering, Yami asked, "What difference does it make to you who's out here?"

"It's my ship and as president of Kai—"

Interrupting Kaiba, Yami plainly stated, "You know that I'm not going to believe that."

"And just why the hell not?" Kaiba demanded, becoming increasingly infuriated by the strange behavior he was witnessing—including his own.

"You knew it would be me out here," Yami told him, looking the other straight in the eyes and refusing to break the contact. He could tell from the way that Kaiba shifted his body that he wasn't pleased by the accuracy of Yami's words and he continued, "So why did you really come out here, Kaiba?"

"Not to endure this sort of idiocy, that's for damn sure," Kaiba snapped.

Ignoring the insult, Yami prompted, "Then what other reason did you have?"

Kaiba began to answer, but quickly paused before he spoke. There was perhaps some truth to the statement that he came to confirm that it was Yuugi outside at such a late hour, but what had he really meant to accomplish? It certainly wasn't to challenge the other to a duel; that time was fast approaching as the sun slowly began to rise off in the distant horizon. What was his real reason, then? Not willing to confront those issues at the moment—or ever—Kaiba turned away with a brusque, "Forget it. I'm done here."

When Kaiba started to walk away, Yami accidentally called out, "Kaiba!"

"What?"

Yami hadn't really meant to say anything and he knew that he would be better off if he just let Kaiba leave, but he was driven by some unknown force inside of him to say, "I want to ask you something."

Now _that_ certainly caught Kaiba's attention and he turned back to face Yami once again, deciding to indulge his curiosity on a whim. "Why?"

"I…it's just something that I've been wondering about recently," Yami awkwardly admitted, challenging himself not to look away from the harsh blue stare he was pinned under currently. _So different and yet not at all_, he found himself noticing, cursing for his break in concentration. Now was hardly the time to analyze the differences between the priest in his vision and the rival standing in front of him.

It was difficult to hear Yami's voice over the wind and Kaiba closed the distance between them for that reason alone. He was intrigued by the almost vulnerable expression on the other's face and he couldn't even begin to imagine what question he had. "Ask."

Already regretting that he hadn't just let the subject drop and returned to his room, Yami knew that backing out now would only look like running away. Besides, how often did he actually have permission? It wasn't like Kaiba would let him go that easily after the build up, right? Taking a deep breath and carefully watching for Kaiba's reaction, Yami finally asked the question that had been bothering him ever since he had learned about his own past. "What's your real name?"

Out of all the questions Yami could have possibly asked, that had not been the one Kaiba had been expecting. "_What_?" Kaiba asked incredulously, wondering how they had got onto such a strange subject. It was almost enough to make him think the he misheard it because of the wind, but somehow he didn't think so.

Figuring that he may as well pursue it since he had already asked, Yami continued, "Kaiba is the last name of your adoptive father, right?"

"Your point?"

Yami didn't know any details beyond what his aibou knew, but he got the impression that Kaiba's stepfather hadn't been someone that was well liked. "Does it bother you to be addressed that way?"

Blinking several times, Kaiba narrowed his eyes at the other, but he still couldn't discern what was going on inside the mind of the other. "I earned that name," Kaiba finally answered, not sure why he replied in the first place. Even though he despised Gozaburo and everything he stood for, the last name had power and it allowed him a freedom that no other could grant him.

"Don't you ever want to hear your other name?"

"Why are you suddenly so interested?" Kaiba demanded to know.

Yami knew better than to tell him the real reason, although he got the impression that Kaiba might actually be capable of understanding the way that he felt. They both had a name given to them by their parents, but different circumstances had stripped them of their identity attached to it. Did Kaiba ever feel the loss of it like Yami did? "Aren't you afraid that you'll forget it one day?"

His mouth felt dry as he mechanically answered, "No." He didn't understand why Yami was suddenly asking such strange questions, but it made him realize just how long it had been since he had even thought of his true last name. Why would he need to? It wasn't like he was that person anymore, so why bother? Although it made him wonder if Mokuba even remembered it and he cursed himself for thinking such a pointless thing.

"Is that so?" Yami replied, turning away from Kaiba and walking back over to the railing. "No, I suppose that you wouldn't have to worry about such a thing, would you?"

Without even meaning to, Kaiba found himself following Yami, leaning his back against the bars as he looked down at the other. "You're being fucking weird tonight," Kaiba told Yami, all the while thinking the same of himself. Why he was still out here when he could be inside getting some work done was beyond him.

"That's true," Yami agreed with a sad smile, leaning against the railing once more and looking out over the dark expanse.

The two of them stood in silence for a little while, each left to their own thoughts. Kaiba decided that it was only fair play after all of the strange questions, so he asked one of his own, "Why do you have that necklace?"

"She returned it to me," Yami answered promptly, still not looking over at Kaiba.

"Returned?" Kaiba repeated skeptically, watching as Yami pulled it out of his pocket to examine it once more. Kaiba glared hatefully at it, still distrusting the gaudy trinket. Even though the presence of the object made Kaiba highly uncomfortable—even more so than the former owner of it—he was still fascinated by the way Yami studied it so intently and how his fingers follow the path of lines. "Why?"

"It would no longer work for her," Yami said simply without elaborating, frowning a little as he did so. His fingers hesitated for a moment before resuming their tracing.

Laughing at the statement, Kaiba haughtily replied, "It never worked in the first. It's impossible to see the future, let alone through the use of a damn necklace."

Looking up at Kaiba, Yami challenged him, "Then why do you still look so afraid of it?"

Glaring down at Yami, Kaiba sneered at him as he tersely responded, "What reason would this Kaiba Seto have to be afraid of a fucking _necklace_?"

When Yami started to laugh quietly, Kaiba became furthered incensed, but said nothing. Finally, Yami said, "Because it shows you what you want to see."

"I have no desire to see into the future, even if such a thing were possible," Kaiba answered honestly, although still sounding highly arrogant. "I will create and follow my own road to the future and I don't need to rely on a stupid piece of jewelry in order to gain an advantage or insight."

It was only then that Yami allowed the other a glimpse of the way he was feeling as his overly emotional eyes sought an answer to a question Kaiba didn't understand. "Who said anything about the future?"

"I have no use for the past, either," Kaiba replied icily, meeting Yami's gaze with a challenge of his own. Without fully grasping the reason why, Kaiba felt slightly unnerved by the fact that Yami wasn't backing down and looking away.

"Why did you go to the museum, then?"

"For no other reason that to discuss the God cards," Kaiba answered, becoming uncomfortable with the conversation's new direction. He still didn't know what Isis had done to cause him to hallucinate such ridiculous things back at the museum, but he refused to accept them as truth.

Yami quietly added, "You saw it, though," although his voice was barely audible above the sound of the rough wind.

"What about it?" Kaiba asked neutrally. He would never admit that it was partially because of the stone tablet that he had conceded to have this tournament. There was no way that he would believe that it had the power to bring duelists from all over the world to compete, but no matter how much he claimed that it was about gaining the three God cards for himself, he knew that the stupid rock did have a minor role to play in his decision to hold Battle City.

Wrapping his fingers around the necklace, Yami looked up at Kaiba in an imploring manner, causing something inside of Kaiba to tighten painfully. "Don't you want to know more?"

"No," Kaiba lied, not wanting to admit to his own idiocy out loud.

Before Yami could respond, the Millennium Tauk began to glow in his hand and as he uncurled his fingers, the light spread between the two. Once more they were both subjected to the strange feeling of their souls being extracted from their bodies and everything went bright as they were absorbed into the golden rays.

* * *

**A/N:** Terrible point to end on, I know. But at least I posted extra early for once, right?

Not a whole lot to add to this chapter, other than prattling on about the name aspect, I suppose. It's never revealed in the series what Kaiba's actual family name is and I've always been curious about that. Instead he's assumed the moniker of a corporation and built his identity around that, which has a certain sadness attached to it. At least for me.

And there's poor Yami. Before he assumed the role of pharaoh, he presumably had a different name that was then changed upon his ascension. So he technically lost two names and his family's, not to mention eventually loosing Yuugi's after he regains Atem.

I guess the dork in me likes the fact that they have something that unusual in common. After all, I can't imagine Kaiba thinking that anyone would be able to identify with him on such an issue, but then again, I can't imagine him thinking much about it at all…

In other news, the sequel to _Catnip Dream _is now over 17,000 words and still motoring right along. And yes, it's been entirely written on post it notes. I'm thinking about posting a picture of the insanity eventually…

Also, I wanted to thank those of you who reviewed and let me know what you thought of this slightly different story. I really appreciated it and I'm grateful to know that the flashback was well received because that's exactly what's on tap for next chapter. I'll be curious to see what emotional reactions the extended one causes, so don't be shy and please let me know. XD

**Part III: Eternal Recurrence**

_What was that feeling deep within him? There was a hidden danger, but perhaps not the one he originally thought. "Stay with me," is the endless whisper that echoes through them all…_

Too much happens for me to summarize, apparently, so I'll run with cryptic instead. Heh. Next update will be on Sunday, so please look forward to it. Until then, enjoy this part and I hope to hear from you!


	3. Part III: Eternal Recurrence

**Part III: Eternal Recurrence**

Suddenly reappearing in a darkness that was full of candlelight and flickering shadows, Yami and Kaiba stared at each other in shock as they tried to process their new surroundings. "What the hell did you do?" Kaiba demanded angrily, but Yami gestured for silence. Infuriated in more ways than one, Kaiba was about to respond when he was interrupted by the sound of a door slamming open with a loud noise.

"Isis!" Seto called out loudly as he stormed into the room, his cape sweeping out behind him in a dramatic flare as he cast his angry gaze about in search of its occupant. "Show yourself!"

Emerging from the shadows with a small incline of her head, she addressed him as, "Pharaoh," but made no other comments as she watched him come to a stop before her.

Yami had an idea of when this was taking place, but it was entirely shocking to Kaiba. He couldn't remember if Isis had mentioned something back at the museum about his supposed ancient counterpart assuming the position after the other Yuugi sealed his soul inside of the Millennium Puzzle, but even if she had, Kaiba would have just disregarded it as more of her ridiculous bullshit. Confronted by such a vision was startling and he was only mildly pacified by the fact the other version of him glared at her with a venomous hatred as he exclaimed, "I demanded an explanation, Isis!"

Tilting her head, her innocent tone did not match her knowing gaze as she asked, "About what, my pharaoh?"

"You damn well know what!" Seto told her, clenching his fist in anger. "Why was I not informed?"

Reaching up and touching the Millennium Tauk around her neck, she smiled deceptively as she began replying, "I see many things, pharaoh—"

Interrupting her with a dangerous look, Seto warned, "Do not attempt to play games with me, priestess."

Her smile never faltered, but her eyes lost some of their lightness. "I sent Priest Aziz as a precaution and the thieves were captured without the loss of a single treasure, pharaoh," she said, a hint of sarcasm coming through as she addressed him by his title. "You know that I am incapable of changing the future. I can only guard against it."

"Who ordered the return of that," Seto started to say before rephrasing it with a frown, "of the Millennium Pyramidto me?"

"Would you rather it remain there unprotected, Seto?"

The statement confirmed for Yami they must have been seeing what happened after his last visit to the museum. As for Kaiba, all he understood was that this version of Isis was even more infuriating than the modern one. He wasn't quite sure what difference it made to his ancient counterpart that the stupid Millennium Puzzle had been given back to him, but Kaiba was vaguely disturbed by the complex feelings he could feel radiating off of his doppelganger.

Approaching Isis with an aura of violent malice, she did not back down as Seto loomed over her and asked in a dangerous tone, "Priestess, did you order it?"

"Yes," she answered defiantly, not even flinching when Seto's fingers wrapped around her throat.

"Why?" he wanted to know, tightening his grip even more when she failed to react. "Was it because you knew what would happen?"

Isis calmly explained, "There were several different outcomes, pharaoh. I had no way of knowing which would be the one to manifest itself. Were you displeased?"

"_Displeased_?" Seto repeated with a sneer, his fingers tightening to the point of causing Isis to gasp softly in an attempt to breathe.

Still making no attempt to free herself, Isis' voice came out slightly strained as she struggled to say, "Was it not what you wanted to see?"

Throwing her aside roughly and glaring down at her distastefully, Seto was satisfied with the sound her body made when it hit the cold stone floor; her coughs and gasps for air where of no consequence to him. Despite Seto's somewhat calm demeanor, Yami could once again feel an undercurrent of the earlier emotions from the former priest and the way he was fighting to maintain his composure. "Do not presume to understand, woman," Seto told her hatefully.

While Isis continued trying to regain her breath, Kaiba glanced over at Yami and was further confused by the expression on the other's face as he stared at Seto. It almost looked like remorse and Kaiba didn't understand how that emotion could have any place in a situation such as this. He could see the way Yami had the chain gripped tightly in his hand—a gesture Kaiba had come to recognize as an indication of the other being upset—and it annoyed him for some reason to realize that it was because of Seto. Kaiba couldn't understand why the fact that Yami never looked away from the former priest bothered him, but he found himself becoming increasingly angered by it. Before he could give the matter any more thought, Isis stood up and swayed slightly before steadying herself.

"He let you know that he was fine in the only way he knew you would believe," Isis suggested, pushing her luck to the limit.

"By the gods, Isis, I will have you stripped of that Millennium Tauk and discharged from your position if you fail to remember your place," Seto warned, but there was a slight tremble in his voice that had Kaiba scowling.

"It was by those gods that you were granted your wish to see him again, Seto," Isis countered, standing her ground firmly as Seto's hand once again clenched into a fist that she knew in at least one alternative future would connect with her face in a very painful way.

At those words, Seto visibly tensed up as he spat out, "My _wish_? Nonsense!"

"Is it?"

"If you value your life, then you will not utter another word about this, priestess," Seto stated calmly as he turned on his heel and began heading back to the door, unable to see her small bow and pleased smile.

That smile made Kaiba want to personally remove it from her face, but he became aware of his rival drifting toward the door as if he intended to go after Seto. Frowning, Kaiba turned to follow when he heard a small laugh coming from Isis. Turning to face her once more, he was shocked when he realized she was staring right at him with a knowing look. No words were exchanged between them and Kaiba quickly escaped the room, just barely catching sight of the other two turning a corner down the hall. He couldn't quite shake the feeling that the modern day Isis had something to do with all of this, but he didn't have time to think about it as he tried to catch up, finally succeeding in doing so just before the door was closed on him.

Yami instantly recognized the surroundings as the bedroom he had seen in the previous vision and everything was virtually identical. The only difference he noted was that the box was once again wrapped in the linen covering, presumably because all of the pieces had been put back inside of it. Seto once again took a seat at his desk and stared pointedly at the small box, but he made no move to touch it.

Kaiba was too busy watching the way the pair were focusing on the small white object on the desk to pay too much attention to his surroundings. He didn't know what could be so special about the contents, but neither could take their eyes off of it and he felt like he was being left out of some secret. Kaiba wanted to ask Yami about it, but he didn't dare speak after the way Isis had seemingly looked right through him just a moment ago. Had that infuriating woman known all along that they were there? After all, the first thing he had done upon arrival was demand to know what the other had done.

Unwilling to continue dwelling on such ridiculous thoughts, Kaiba held his silence and continued to watch in frustration, noticing the way his rival was becoming increasingly absorbed into the current situation. Kaiba was also becoming more disturbed by the openly emotional expression his counterpart was wearing, knowing that he himself would never be so weak as to show such a face, even when alone.

Eventually Seto pulled the box closer to him and reverently undid the tie on the linen, as he repeated softly in a bitter tone, "My wish?" Kaiba found himself moving closer to find out why his counterpart's expression became even more somber upon opening the lid. Inside were little golden pieces and judging by the design of the box and the way that his rival tightened his grip on the completed Millennium Item, Kaiba deduced that it was the unassembled version of the gaudy thing the other insisted that he resided inside of for three thousand years. "My wish would be for more than just a moment with him, you insolent woman."

At those words, Yami's guilty expression did not escape Kaiba's attention, nor did the way his own chest tightened as he watched Seto pick up a single piece and stare at it with a profound sadness. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his rival drifting back with an almost fearful look, hiding himself behind a pillar and peeking out from behind it cautiously. Kaiba didn't even bother trying to figure that one out, but since he had not been given any indication to do the same so he remained where he was, suddenly catching sight of an illustration of the damned stele that was becoming increasingly obnoxious in his opinion. He found himself fervently hoping that it was sitting there for approval only, but somehow he knew that his counterpart had been the one to draw it and it didn't please him. Did that mean he was being harassed by an ancient version of himself? No, Kaiba would not buy into such idiotic notions.

Seto ran his thumb over the piece, sighing softly as he studied it with a wistful smile. "As if it would work for a second time," he scoffed, but he didn't return it to the box. Instead, he began tracing the design in a similar manner to the way Kaiba had seen the other doing to the necklace when they were out on the deck. After completing the design, there was a faint glow from the center and Seto looked up expectantly, but saw nothing. "Pharaoh?" he called out, causing Kaiba's eyes to go wide in surprise.

Turning around to try and find the one who had gotten him into this mess, Kaiba couldn't see him and was beginning to understand why the other had gone into hiding. Everything was suddenly starting to fall into place as he realized that this must have happened to the other before and they were watching the consequences of those previous actions. Just as Kaiba was beginning to wonder why he had been dragged into this whole mess, he suddenly felt the strangest sensation as Seto walked through his spiritual form, shivering as he did so.

Kaiba instantly found himself paralyzed as his mind was suddenly assaulted by an overwhelming amount of information and memories, things that were showing him far more than Seto's last encounter with his pharaoh. He shut his eyes against it, willing them to stop echoing through the very core of his being, but it was a useless gesture as the intimate fragments brought Kaiba closer to things he didn't want to know. Forcing his eyes open, Kaiba saw Seto approaching the pillar that Yami had been hiding behind moments ago.

A flash of golden light over to his left caught Kaiba's attention and he turned to face it, stunned by what he saw. There was a glowing outline of a third eye on Yami's forehead and his Millennium Puzzle lit up accordingly, but Kaiba could barely focus because of the continuing onslaught the former priest had unknowingly forced upon him. Seto finally spotted the unnatural light and he quickly made his way in that direction, ambushing Yami and capturing his wrist before he could successfully get away.

He didn't want to feel what was going on in Seto's head, but Kaiba couldn't stop the powerful emotions that were coursing through him and all of the images that were accompanying them. Clutching his head in pain, Kaiba tried to fight against it and was failing miserably as he was subjected to the memories of another. He didn't want to remember things that weren't related to him, like the way that they had spent their last night together and how amazing the smaller man's body had felt under his as they—no, Kaiba didn't want to see that, didn't want to feel those things, but they were slipping past every defense he had as he watched Seto pull Yami into his arms and whisper, "Pharaoh," so softly that he wouldn't have heard it at all if his own lips weren't saying the same words.

Yami had feared that his Millennium Puzzle would respond to the call and it was why he tried to hide himself before it could happen, but it had all been for nothing. He knew that Kaiba was still present, knew that he should be trying to find a way to return the two of them back to the present time, but the instant those warm fingers wrapped around his wrist to pull him into an embrace, it was a useless thought. Yami's emotions were not his own and he could feel the sorrow pulsating from the other at the thought of never seeing him again, could hear the call of memories encouraging him to remain just a little longer.

When he felt Seto's lips kissing his neck softly, Yami froze as they worked their way up to lick at the curve of his ear. His body reacted against his will to the way Seto was moaning and pressing insistently against him and Yami was unable to resist when he was turned around to face the other. He immediately wished that he had at least attempted to because Seto was staring at him with an intense look that Yami knew he would lose to every time, knew that he had lost to every time.

Kaiba could only helplessly watch on, finding himself both repulsed and drawn to what was happening because he felt everything as if he were doing it himself. Even at such an impossible distance, Kaiba could feel that warm body melting against his, could feel just how soft the skin was as he kissed Yami's neck, and the way every shudder made his own body respond as he worked up to the ear. It was maddening and no matter how loudly his common sense screamed at him to gain control, he was too distracted by the feelings, by all of the memories belonging to Seto that were showing Kaiba just what happened when the former pharaoh gave in to his own desires.

Yami could tell that something was different this time and he stared up at Seto in surprise when a golden third eye appeared on him as well, although it wasn't that unexpected since the other had been chosen by the Millennium Rod at one point. What he had not been prepared for was hearing Seto request, "Stay with me, my pharaoh," as he kissed him passionately, leaving Yami breathless and conflicted when they finally parted for air. It was why Yami was completely confused by what happened when Seto leaned forward to touch his forehead against his.

Yami cried out loudly in wordless pain and tried to push away as he felt a searing sensation at the contact, but the transfer of memories and emotions too much to handle. He started to struggle against it, but that only seemed to make Seto hold onto Yami tighter. Yami almost felt like the memories of his current life were being ripped away from him and the pain in his mind was nearly blinding. "Let go of me!" he yelled, trying to use all of his strength to pull away and failing, too focused on trying to save his precious few true memories.

"I can't," Seto whispered, running his fingers lovingly through Yami's hair, hoping that he would be forgiven for such selfish actions.

Yami could barely hear him over the roar of noise inside of his mind. It almost felt like the other was trying to separate his soul, only there was nothing to separate it from this time. Even as he felt the sadness and regret from Seto over his actions, Yami kept trying to free himself, becoming almost frantic as the pain became unbearable. Not caring how it sounded, Yami shouted, "Seto, let me go!" It was to no avail since all it did was make Seto redouble his efforts.

"Not again," Seto promised, hating himself for what he was trying to do. He just couldn't lose him again, not after this. "Never again."

Kaiba was hearing it all, feeling it all happen and he had been forced to the floor, doubled over by the sheer intensity of the pain both were enduring. He didn't fully understand what Seto was attempting to do, but Kaiba got the impression that whatever it was, it would result in Yami staying here permanently. It was unforgivable and Kaiba couldn't allow it to happen, even if he didn't understand why he felt so strongly about it.

As Yami's screams became louder in his rising panic and pain, Kaiba finally found himself on his feet and it was only through sheer willpower that he made his way over to the pair. Not considering the consequences of interrupting the process, Kaiba encircled one arm around Yami's waist and pulled with all of his strength, reward when the former pharaoh collapsed again him with a groan. Kaiba wrapped his other arm protectively around Yami as he drifted back a little bit, staring at his confused counterpart with undisguised contempt. "Were you trying to fucking kill him?" Kaiba demanded angrily, disgusted by Seto's behavior. He was too worked up to be ashamed of the way his hands were shaking, too angry to question his own actions and fears.

Seto's eyes went wide, finally seeing the other for the first time and recognizing him for what he was instantly from Yami's memories. "Why would I try and kill the one I love?" Seto asked, causing Kaiba to put more distance between himself and the other, not comfortable with hearing such things. It didn't help that he was being smirked at and instantly flooded by more images of what sort of love Seto was talking about, but Kaiba did his best to ignore the graphic scenes that were variations of what he had already been subjected to.

"You've got a really shitty way of showing it," Kaiba growled, wanting to look down at the person in his arms to see if he was okay, but not daring to take his eyes off of Seto for a second.

"Is your way any better?" Seto countered coolly, moving closer with a smug look that Kaiba recognized as his own.

Refusing to retreat further for fear of looking weak, Kaiba remained in place, glaring hatefully at the approaching figure. "I don't—" he began to say, but he got no further as Seto interrupted with a harsh laugh.

"Still in denial?" Seto taunted, never looking away from his reincarnation.

"No, because there is nothing to deny," Kaiba told him in an icy voice, his mind too focused on the immediate problem to consider a way of getting out of the situation.

Seto snorted rather rudely as he studied the nearly identical person in front of him to discover the differences between them. "Although you have blessed with my appearance," Seto told him with a slight sneer, "it seems that you failed to inherit my intelligence. Pity."

Kaiba's anger and disgust were quickly overriding the fact that he was essentially arguing with himself. "Bastard! I—"

"You still consider him your weakness rather than your strength," Seto guessed, having once shared the same thought pattern. "You would do well to learn that he—"

Not interested in any advice from the former priest, Kaiba cut him off with a vehement, "I'm not you, asshole! Stop talking as if you know me!"

"No?" Seto asked with an amused look. "Does your heart not race at the mere thought of seeing him? Do you not long for the chance to stand before him and prove your worth? Does anyone else hold your attention and thoughts like he does? Is it not the same for you?"

"You're wrong," Kaiba told him, not wanting to admit that there was a small modicum of truth in the answers to such questions. If they were talking about duels, then yes, Kaiba's heart did race at the thought of fighting against the other, simply because no one else provided him with such a challenge or a thrill. He was the only person that had bested Kaiba fairly and he was determined to make him recognize that he alone was a worthy competitor. Kaiba thought about him often, but that was only to figure out different strategies to defeat him and show him and everyone else that Kaiba Seto was the true master of Duel Monsters. It had nothing to do with whatever perversities his former incarnation was implying, that was for certain.

Seto smirked as he saw that slight flash of recognition in Kaiba's eyes and he took a step closer. He was pleased when Kaiba didn't move and Seto became even more unwilling to relent as he continued to push his reincarnation to see the truth that he himself had denied for so many years. "You do not live for him?"

"I live to defeat him," Kaiba snapped, unable to deny that the past year of his life had been dedicated to besting the person he currently held in his arms.

Perhaps they were not so different after all, Seto realized, they were just a few years apart in their understanding. "It is still existing for him," Seto pointed out, causing Kaiba's eyes to momentarily widen in shock before narrowing in displeasure. "You cannot defeat him until you acknowledge the fact that—"

"There is nothing to acknowledge!" Kaiba yelled, instantly cursing himself for losing his composure. Something was striking a little too close to his walls and he didn't like it one bit, especially since he didn't understand what he was reacting to.

Seto had long been deprived of a challenge since his pharaoh had passed on and he was becoming overly indulgent in the new game his reincarnation was providing for him. Reaching out to trace the outline of Yami's cheek, Seto was denied the contact because Kaiba finally backed away from him. Having set his trap perfectly, Seto demanded, "Then why do you protect him?"

Kaiba didn't have an answer for that and it further aggravated him. He had moved out of instinct alone and then there was that troubling incident to consider at the Domino Bay when he had sacrificed his Blue Eyes White Dragon card to help save Yuugi from certain death. Why had he done that? Was it simply because Kaiba didn't wish for the other to die before he had the chance to beat him or was it something more? No, he was being ridiculous. "Why would you try to hurt him?" Kaiba countered, trying to turn the tables against Seto. "Or is that the extent of your so-called love?"

Although Seto recognized the attempt at reversing the situation, he was still infuriated by the accusation. Grabbing Kaiba by the collar of his shirt and yanking him forward to look him directly in the eyes, Seto threatened, "Don't you dare presume to understand the depths of a love you are not yet willing to accept."

Unable to free himself because of Yami, Kaiba met the deadly glare with one of his own. "Not yet willing to accept?" Kaiba repeated with a haughty laugh before viciously attacking Seto with what little knowledge he had of the situation. "What about you? You're unwilling to accept that you failed to protect him and—"

All thoughts of the game were quickly forgotten as Seto's mood quickly changed from playful to livid. "Do not speak of things you know nothing about," Seto warned him, his voice filled with the promise of violence if Kaiba did otherwise.

"Then I would suggest you do the same," Kaiba countered in a similar tone, not the least bit intimidated by the display.

Releasing Kaiba's shirt finally, Seto remained where he was as he studied his reincarnation intently. He had seen glimpses of Kaiba in Yami's mind earlier and it was somewhat disheartening to watch their interactions, leading him to say almost to himself, "It seems that I have lost him in two lifetimes."

Confused by the non sequitur, Kaiba's irritation came through as he questioned, "What nonsense are you rambling about now?"

"His mind is filled with you and yet—"

"_Excuse me_?" Kaiba demanded in disbelief, stunned by the statement. "What the hell are you talking about?

The novelty of his reincarnation had worn off completely and Kaiba was now becoming borderline exasperating in Seto's opinion. "You cannot possibly be that ignorant," Seto commented in disbelief, although he was beginning to believe that it was in fact possible for Kaiba. "If you thought of him half as often, there would be room for little else in your mind."

"Now I know you're full of shit," Kaiba said dismissively, "because there's no way that he thinks—"

"You should be honored that he thinks of you at all!" Seto told him, forgetting that Yami was no longer the pharaoh where he resided. "You dare to disrespect the high regard he holds for you?"

Beyond confused, Kaiba accidentally admitted, "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Then you do not deserve him," Seto said icily, sending a shiver down Kaiba's spine at the finality of such words.

"Oh, and you do?" Kaiba asked sarcastically, having little proof that the former priest did. He wasn't sure where the sudden streak of possessiveness was coming from, but he couldn't think about it at the moment.

Unfortunately for Kaiba, he realized too late that he had pushed Seto too far with the last question. Seto decided to retaliate by reaching out and pressing his index and middle fingers against Kaiba's forehead, causing him to hiss in pain at the unpleasant warmth that began to spread, feeling suspiciously like the mark the other two currently had. "What are you doing?" Kaiba ground out, his grip tightening on Yami, but there was still no movement from his limp form.

"Getting answers," Seto answered with a feral grin, forcing himself deep into Kaiba's mind with a cruel laugh.

Fighting against the sudden invasion, Kaiba was no match against Seto's experience and he groaned in pain as the memory of his first time dueling against Yuugi was brought up against his will. Finding nothing there, Seto decided that he would move on to the next memory as soon as he finished watching his pharaoh punish his insolent reincarnation, but he was surprised to feel confusion from Kaiba at the deviation of Yami calling out, "Seto! That's enough!"

Having no body, only a voice replied, "But I've only just gotten started."

"Even if it's you, I will not forgive this!" Yami told him, forcing Seto out of Kaiba's mind instead of the memory ending with a Mind Crush. All three were once again aware of the bedroom they were standing in and Yami held onto Kaiba's arms desperately as they stared at a glaring Seto who was swaying on his feet.

"Why?" Seto asked in a wounded tone, angering Kaiba that he had the audacity to sound hurt by Yami's actions.

It was only when Yami tightened his fingers around Kaiba's wrist that he realized just how badly the former pharaoh was shaking. "You went too far," Yami finally answered, the words thick on his tongue as he continued drawing in ragged breaths.

"You belong here!"

"Not anymore," Yami said softly, leaning back into the embrace when he felt Kaiba's arms tighten protectively out of instinct.

The answer and subtle gesture infuriated Seto and he lashed out Kaiba once more, determined to find out from his reincarnation why his pharaoh was refusing to stay with him. Viciously forcing himself back into Kaiba's mind, he began rapidly dissecting any memories of Yami that he possessed in an attempt to gain insight. Yami was denied entrance by Seto's strong walls and he didn't have the energy left to break them down successfully, so he frantically tried to come up with another plan as Kaiba continued to struggle.

They were all startled by the sound of the door slamming open as Isis hurried into the room exclaiming, "Seto, what are you doing?!" The instant she had realized what was going on, she had rushed over from the temple as quickly as possible to intervene.

"You dare to interrupt, priestess?" Seto growled dangerously, giving her a murderous look as he found himself forced out of Kaiba's mind once more by Yami, who had taken advantage of his momentary distraction.

Stepping in front of Seto, she looked at him with disappointment, knowing that the reason for his actions didn't justify them. Turning toward the others, Isis bowed slightly before saying, "I apologize, Seto's reincarnation, and to you as well, my departed pharaoh."

They both were grateful when they felt themselves being pulled back to their own time at those words, but Seto tried once last time to reach and touch Yami, only to have his hand pass through the spiritual form instead. "I—" Seto started, looking up at him with a vulnerable heartbroken expression that revealed the full extent of his misery.

Yami was beginning to understand the origins of Kaiba's tendency to act out in harmful ways when trying to protect the things that were important to him. Even though he hated the way Seto had behaved and found it inexcusable, he still couldn't suppress the feelings of guilt that he had been the source of it all. Gently smiling at him, Yami rested his hand above Seto's outstretched one, almost touching, but not quite as he softly said, "I know," before he and Kaiba disappeared from that time completely.

* * *

**A/N:** Yeah, definitely my favorite part and I'm glad that I finally got it up to share with everyone. Hopefully you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it!

Not a whole lot to add, honestly. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you feel about the story, I guess) I might have accidentally created a short one shot follow up to this piece, because I really wanted to link what I did here with the vision during Kaiba's fight with Yami during the finals at Alcatraz. That long flight to America would give him plenty of time to think everything over and it is rather tempting to keep fleshing out one of the things that bothered me about the flashback they experience mid-duel. That version of the priest is so drastically different from the Seto shown during the Memory World arc and it's always struck me as strange; even if he was possessed, it still feels weird to me. Anyway, there might be a follow up, there might not be. Depends on how it goes, I guess.

Still, this story will stand as is in four parts. I'm so glad to hear that everyone has been enjoying this slightly more thoughtful piece and I can't thank you enough for the wonderful feedback!

**FINAL PART: Shut Away**

_Lingering still, the moment has almost past, but first…_

It concludes next Sunday and after that comes the sequel to _Catnip Dream_ that I've been yammering on about since this story started. XD Good news is, in additional to the accidental follow up to this story, there's actually a second sequel for _Catnip Dream_ focusing on the collar incident in a rather curious manner. I know quite a few people were wondering about where I was taking that, but I've only just started that and it'll be awhile before I get it up here, sadly.

Rather grand plans, ne? Feel free to review and let me know what you think of this installment! Please be sure to look out for the finale on Sunday!


	4. Part IV: Shut Away

**Part IV: Shut Away**

The sun had already begun its ascent and a dark grey dawn was spreading over the ocean when the pair slowly became aware of the fact that they were sitting together on the duel platform. Even though Kaiba realized that he still had his arms wrapped around Yami defensively, he didn't try to do anything to change the situation. Instead they sat there, both of them panting heavily as they tried to reorient themselves. Opening his hand, Yami watched as the glow faded from the center of the necklace and he set it gently on the ground, not wanting to touch it any more than he had to at the moment.

Resting his head against Yami's shoulder as he continued trying to breathe, Kaiba managed to ask, "What the fuck was that?"

"It showed us what we wanted to see," Yami replied, realizing that he was going to have to shower when he got back to the room. He was drenched in sweat and his body felt absolutely exhausted by everything that had just occurred. At least he had come away with his entire mind in tact, something for which he was deeply grateful.

"Who the hell would want to see that?" Kaiba demanded to know, realizing that as calm as Yami sounded, his body was trembling.

"I don't know," Yami answered softly, lapsing into silence as he tried to regain his composure. He had learned about more memories than he had thought possible for a single vision, but it was too much. It wasn't fair that Kaiba had been drug into it too, but then again, it seemed like he was deeply entwined with these threads of fate, whether he liked or not. How much more harm would come to those who were involved? Was it really worth his selfish desire to know more? Was he really willing to sacrifice those close to him in such a manner?

After their breathing had mostly returned to normal, they still sat unmoving as they each tried to settle the emotions inside of their own minds. Yami was the first to speak, finally telling Kaiba, "Thanks for pulling me away from him." It was important to Yami to say it now since he had a suspicion that tomorrow Kaiba would be denying this ever happened, or at the very least, refusing to ever speak about it again.

Kaiba almost missed hearing that since he had not been paying complete attention in his attempt to compartmentalize his own issues over the matter. "You're welcome," Kaiba mumbled, the words feeling strange to him.

Yami hesitated for a moment before asking, "Why did you?" He felt Kaiba tense up at the question, his grip around Yami's waist subtly tightening.

He wanted to make a sarcastic comment about stopping the other's screams, to say anything to hide the real reasons, but no words would come. After some amount of time, Kaiba answered truthfully, "I just did," not really sure if it was his desire to keep his rival in this time or if it was simply because he had been temporarily influenced by the onslaught of memories he had been subjected to. All he had known at that time was that he had to get to him before it was too late, whatever that had meant.

It was the same thing as the current moment for Kaiba. He wasn't sure why he was refusing to release Yami, or why the other hadn't tried to free himself yet; Kaiba just held him and Yami just allowed himself to be held—it was as simple as that for Kaiba. There was some small whisper in the back of his mind, a voice he refused to acknowledge that was being unusually active and annoying at the moment. It was trying to convince him that he didn't want to let go, because the moment he did, everything would return to normal for them. But as they sat now, it was a moment outside of reality, something that Kaiba could later write off as an extension of his late night hallucination. So if he wanted to allow himself to worry that if he didn't hold on tightly, the spirit might truly disappear, it was fine as long as he didn't let go. Even if he was being influenced by the whims and desires of an ancient incarnation, it could only be considered a possible excuse so long as the other remained in his embrace.

Yami understood it as well, knowing that the instant they separated they would return to their respective positions of fierce rivals. It was why he made no attempt to move, had no desire or intention to free himself from the comfort of Kaiba's arms encircling around him possessively. Even though he knew he would find a new way to torture himself with the memory of this moment, Yami allowed it to continue. All of the other memories he had just seen, they had all been of a different version of himself in a different time, but this was happening to him as he was in the present moment and that made all the difference. Even knowing that it would probably be painful to remember, he still found himself wanting to linger for as long as possible, not wanting to forgo the moment to return to his soul room. He wasn't even sure what he was referring to as he whispered, "I'm sorry," but he had felt they were words that needed to be spoken.

"Don't be," was all Kaiba said, elaborating no further as he continued feeling tiny tremors running through the small body he was holding.

They both lapsed into silence, once again returning to their thoughts. When they became too much for Kaiba, he finally lifted his head off of Yami's shoulder and tipped it back against the railing with a small sigh that he hadn't meant to make. Still, he refused to let go, trying hard not to hear the echoes of the voice so close to his own saying, "Never again." It was bad enough that he had witnessed such things, but being subjected to indirectly feeling everything as if they were his own was too much for him. He felt as if he had experienced more emotions in that vision than he had in years of his own existence. Trying to avoid thinking about any specific moment, he was startled when Yami leaned back to accommodate himself to the new position, almost hesitantly for fear of upsetting their precarious understanding.

Meeting no resistance, Yami allowed himself to relax fully against the other, closing his eyes as his mind tried to memorize every detail. Kaiba was just trying not to remember the sensations Seto's body had relayed to him of what had happened tonight. It made Kaiba grateful that Seto had largely remained unaware of his presence until the very end, though. He got the feeling things would have progressed far further since Seto would have probably tried to show off just to piss off Kaiba and make him feel even more awkward; it was what he would have done, after all. Instead, he decided to focus on why his brain wasn't rejecting the fact that he was currently sitting on the roof deck of his own airship with his number one rival comfortably situated between his legs, holding him as if there wasn't a single thing wrong with that picture.

At least he didn't have to worry about the media; one of the benefits and considerations of the Battle Ship being implemented was that it allowed Kaiba complete control over what was broadcast and publicized. This situation was just one more reason to be thankful for his foresight, because between it and the rate the participants were being physically affected by their duels, it would have been the worst kind of publicity possible. Kaiba didn't want his company image to suffer because of some psychotic brat who was using a golden stick to somehow fuck with everyone's head. Although that reminded him: on the stone tablet at the museum and in the visions he had seen at that time, the priest had been holding the Millennium Rod, but this time he hadn't seen it at all. Perhaps it had been passed down to another priest upon his ascension to the throne? Not that it mattered one way or the other to Kaiba. As long as that Marik bastard didn't cause any more problems or bring any harm to himself or Mokuba, Kaiba could care less. Once he obtained his Ra card, that would be the end of it, Kaiba decided.

For the most part, Yami had finally calmed down and his body no longer felt so shaken by everything. Opening his eyes, he rested one hand on his stomach while the other rested lightly on Kaiba's arm, his fingers sometimes absentmindedly moving over the fabric. He knew that he had escaped relatively unharmed, but he still found himself worrying about how Kaiba had fared. "Did he—" Yami started to ask before interrupting himself. Somehow he didn't think it would go over very well if he asked, "Did he hurt you?" Instead, he rephrased his question to, "Are you okay?"

"I wasn't the one screaming, was I?" Kaiba pointed out with a laugh that was supposed to sound harsh, but it failed to carry any of its normal maliciousness.

There was something almost reassuring about the response and Yami chuckled, unable to see the way it caused Kaiba's eyebrows to arch at such an unusual reaction. "I'm glad," he said softly, figuring that nothing else needed to be said.

It was why it was his turn to be surprised when Kaiba added a gruff, "You seem to be fine."

Knowing better than to say, "Thanks to you," Yami settled for simply saying, "Yeah," smiling a little as he continued sitting there, resenting the shortening shadows that were announcing the ever closer approaching morning. He didn't want to leave, didn't want it to be over, but he knew they were running out of time.

Kaiba knew it too, but he still found himself reluctant to take any action, unwilling to relinquish such a rare moment of comfort. He closed his eyes to the brightening dawn, unconsciously drawing Yami just a little bit closer as he rested his head against the other's and tried not to pay too much attention to the easy access he had to the ear and neck his former incarnation had taken advantage of earlier. Kaiba didn't like the fact that it was tempting, or that he wanted to act on his impulse, and he hated that he refused to do so on principle alone. It would mean allowing what he had seen to cross over into reality in a way that Kaiba couldn't accept and there was no way in hell he was going to give proof to the nonsense the former priest had spouted about his so-called feelings. Kaiba Seto did not want any of that and he wouldn't allow himself to be deluded otherwise—or at least that was what he was trying fervently to convince himself.

The hallucinations at the museum had been laughable and the one during his battle with Isis had been the only one he could at least tolerate and understand. It still didn't explain why he could suddenly read ancient hieroglyphs, but he would rather have no explanation than have to buy into some bullshit one. And yet, that final vision he witnessed with Yami and everything that had gone with it, Kaiba couldn't outright rejected it, but neither could he readily accept it as truth.

Sighing again, he felt Yami shiver as the warm air brushed past his neck and Kaiba stubbornly kept his eyes closed, knowing that he wouldn't move if he couldn't clearly see what he was doing. He couldn't escape the doubt that if he gave in even once, he would never be able to resist the temptation thereafter and that was unacceptable. Thus, Kaiba remained motionless as he fought against acting out on any of the multitude of visions he had experienced. He didn't want to think about the fact that he now knew just what to do to make Yami lose that annoying composure of his and what the far-reaching implications of that would be.

Without being able to see Kaiba's expression, Yami could only guess at what was going on through the other's mind at the moment. He knew that the other was struggling with what had happened tonight and Yami couldn't help but wonder what else Kaiba had seen. There was no way that he would ever find out, so Yami continued to sit in silence and did his best to ignore the memories that were stirring because of Kaiba's proximity to his neck. Some masochistic part of his mind couldn't help but wonder if Kaiba would be as haunted by this as Yami was going to be.

"Yuugi."

"I know," Yami said sadly, his fingers tightening around Kaiba's wrist, as he picked up the Millennium Tauk with his other hand. Just because he knew didn't mean he had to like it, though.

Opening his eyes, Kaiba had a momentary fear that the necklace might reclaim them into another vision, but the only glow came from the sunlight reflecting off of it. When he felt the other starting to pull away from him, some part of him wanted to prevent it, wanted to hold on to the moment for just a little longer. Kaiba could already feel his mind starting to rebel against such an errant desire, so he had no choice but to watch as the other slipped gently from his grasp, standing gracefully in front of him. The accursed necklace was once again slipped back into the pocket and it made it a little easier for Kaiba to think, even though he made no move to rise as well. "Yuugi," he found himself once again saying.

Turning to look at Kaiba over his shoulder, Yami allowed himself one last moment of weakness, allowed his conflicted emotions to be easily read in his honest eyes. It was painful knowing what had happened, knowing what was going to happen next. Like his former incarnation, Kaiba would most likely become especially brutal to compensate for what had just happened and Yami had no choice but to accept those consequences. "Yes?"

Kaiba found that he couldn't answer immediately, that he was too captivated by the exquisite sadness in the other's eyes. It made him want to pull the other back down and hold him once again, made him want to return to the vision to beat the shit out of the former priest for making him even consider such a thing as a viable option. He thought he had been upset when the other had been looking at Seto in such a manner, but knowing that he alone was causing it was practically unbearable. But Kaiba had never known how to comfort another, so all he could say was, "Prepare yourself for tomorrow's battle, Yuugi. I will defeat you in order to continue on this path to my future," hoping that his normal smug arrogance had returned convincingly enough.

Yami only replied with, "Ah," before turning and facing forward again, realizing that it was the only thing either one of them could do. Yami had to forge ahead in order to find his future through his past and he would let nothing get in his way, not even Kaiba. He was ready for their destined fight and fully intended to give it his everything in the hopes for a victory. Without another word, Yami began walking toward the elevator, never looking back at the other. It was only when he entered the elevator and turned around to push the button for his floor that he caught a final glimpse of Kaiba still sitting unmoving, his arms resting on his knees as he stared up at the sky.

As the doors closed and he began his descent, only then did Yami let his head fall forward and touch the cool metal as he shut his eyes with a sigh. He knew that nothing would change, but he couldn't stop that small part of him from wishing that things would. Having been subjected to the thoughts and remembrances of Seto, it left Yami yearning for that comfort he had witnessed, but he pushed it down and refused to think about it any further tonight. Nothing could be done about it and he had other things he needed to be focusing on instead.

The whole incident left him wanting to know more, and not just about his interactions with Seto, either. Yes, he had seen some of their private moments when they were arguing, getting along, or being rather intimate, but he had also seen things that were trivial like meetings with his staff advisors. He had seen countless faces that he wanted to know the true identities of, even if they were of no importance. Although he was still hesitant to involve others, his aibou was constantly supporting him and wanted to try and help him regain these important things. With that in mind, Yami straightened up and stood proudly as he resolved his determination to find his answers despite the risks. He had come too far to turn back now.

Kaiba remained motionless outside, waiting to leave until the sun finished rising. He hadn't allowed himself to watch Yami walk away, hadn't allowed himself to feel anything. Although there was no one watching him, he would not reveal his feelings as that idiot priest had. Then again, he shouldn't have had any feelings in the first place, but he couldn't ignore the fact that something deep inside of him had started to ache at the sight of Yami walking away from him. It was frustrating and he cursed the memories that had given him a whole new reason to hate anything connected with the past.

As the time passed, Kaiba slowly forced everything behind the walls he had years of practice at maintaining, sectioning it off with everything else that he was better off ignoring. There was no place for a past for Kaiba, especially one as preposterous as a previous life. Such ridiculous and useless notions would not tie him down, nor would he give any credence to such pointless emotions that had nothing to do with him. The only thing that mattered was securing his future through his own means; everything else was just superfluous to him. He would finally triumph over Yuugi to take the title of Duel King for himself and defeat his past once and for all. Kaiba would not allow himself to be deluded into complacency, could not allow himself to rely on the comfort such lies could provide. He had his brother by his side and that was all he needed to keep pushing him forward.

Finally standing up and ignoring the protests of his body for having stayed in one position for too long, Kaiba confidently made his way to the elevator, determined to continue his quest, even if it meant being ruthless at times. He had come too far to turn back now.

* * *

**A/N:** And thus concludes the first half of the **Endless Loop Series**.

As I've allude to a couple of times and in a few of my replies to reviews, I have in fact decided to continue this in another one shot in four parts. XD Just can't seem to help myself, it seems. It was far too tempting to explore the aftermath and play with circular events, but I swear that it will be the official end after that. There focus will initially be on what happened after episode 97 and up until Kaiba's departure to America from Alcatraz in episode 143, although I will be ignoring the Noa storyline. This story will be true to the **manga canon**, but that won't really matter until the final chapter where I think the anime and manga take the biggest departures in their depiction. Yay for vaguery! I'll always make notes to the relevant differences at the start of the chapter, though.

The **sequel** will be called **Whenever, Wherever** and the chapter titles will all be playing off of the ones found here; dorky, perhaps, but I do enjoy the play on words. My advanced warning on it is that it will have earned its **M rating** for a reason, so you will have to search for it if I'm not on your author alert list. The psychological aspects are going to be a lot darker and the emotional havoc will be even more intense in some respects. Leave it to me to make cerebral lemons...Anyway, if you thought this one was an emotional jerker, well prepare yourselves for the devastation of the sequel. Well, maybe "devastation," is a little strong, but it will certainly be an exercise in hard hitting emotions.

Anyway, enough build up for that, yeah? I can't thank everyone enough for the positive feedback this story received and it's probably why I started writing a follow up to this piece. I'm looking forward to hearing everyone's responses about their overall feelings on _Everywhen_ and I just wanted to thank everyone again for all of their input thus far!

**This Sunday** I will be posting the first chapter of the sequel to **Catnip Dream**. It will be called **Another Lesson** and will start off at a **T** **rating**. I feel that I should announce it will eventually get upgraded to a **M rating**, but there's more character development to be done before those two start going at it like bunnies on aphrodisiacs. XD It was originally supposed to be a cute (well, not cute since Kaiba Seto doesn't _do_ cute, but you know what I mean) little strip-and-study smut fic, but it seems that it didn't quite turn out that way. My mind started playing with the ideas behind Kaiba and his education background, and well…it should have an interesting result that ultimately brings them closer together. I don't know how long it will be ultimately, but I can tell you that it's already over 19,000 words and I'm still working on it. XD

As for **Whenever, Wherever**, I intend to post the first chapter of that on **Wednesday, May 21st**. So after this weekend, for the next four weeks, you will get a chapter of _Whenever_ every Wednesday and a chapter of _Another Lesson_ every Sunday. Aren't you just thrilled? XD You'll be so spoiled afterwards, ne? So be sure to mark your calendars or something, haha.

And once again, thank you again for your continued support and encouragement! I look forward to hearing from everyone and I hope to meet up with everyone in _**Another Lesson**_ this **Sunday, May 18th**!


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